Staking Claims
by LilyGhost
Summary: Both Ranger and Stephanie feel compelled to flex a little proprietary-muscle. A Ranger POV story.


**Ranger and Stephanie still belong to Janet. The mistakes are mine alone.**

"Do it and die, Asshole."

"Awww, is the little lady gonna shoot me with that _itty bitty, teeny weeny, wittle _gun?"

"Yes. She will. But not before _her man _puts a bullet or two through your skull, effectively turning you into a human watering can," I said behind Guster Mulvern, placing the barrel of my Glock flush to the back of his head.

"_Ranger,_ you're supposed to let _me _handle this. You yourself have said that I'll never learn if I don't do certain things myself."

"That's true, Babe, but I take serious offense to anyone pulling a gun on you."

She sighed. "I know you do, but I had it under control."

"I saw that. And now I'll take over and finish the job so you can kick back and just relax."

Her eyes rolled so hard, I heard them make their full rotation. "Funny how it always works out that way."

I cuffed the asshole with the butt of my gun when he opened his mouth to say something back to her, and then I cuffed him with Steph's handcuffs. When he was no longer a threat, I took the gun off Steph's hands, which she had quickly retrieved, the one Mulvern had just dared to point at her. Interesting how he dropped it the second he felt one shoved into _his _head.

"My job as your boss, Steph, is to protect you. My mission as the only man you'll love, is to protect you, support you, and fuck up _anyone _who threatens or tries to harm you."

"Yeah, I kinda picked up on that when you took over my capture."

"So you're not going to insist I give you Brown or Cal to take along on apprehensions from now on?" I asked, dragging a semi-conscious Mulvern to his feet.

"Nope. When I go with you anywhere, I'm guaranteed a good time ... one way or another. Call me greedy, but I'm not willing to give up any of those experiences."

"Are you just saying that because you know I'll always stop if you want something to eat on our way back to the Rangeman building?"

"Yes ... but also no. Not many people get to see it, but you're a really fun guy to be around. Though after we drop off numb-nuts here, I'm thinking a meatball sub will fill the hole his presence ate away in my happy mood."

I kept one hand on the chain between Mulvern's shackled wrists in case he's stupid enough to try to fight me or run, my free arm I curled around her.

"I'll buy _two _if you feel that you need them."

She got the house and car door for me so I could secure our FTA in the backseat. He's either a pussy and can't handle the kiss of pistol whip, or he's faking being half out of it so as not to risk receiving the fatal bullet wounds I promised him. It's pathetic how assholes are so-called _men _only when they believe they can threaten a woman. When a real man comes along and demonstrates the proper way to behave, they suddenly turn flaccid.

I offered to escort Mulvern into the TPD and back to jail solo, but Steph wanted to see if Eddie or Carl are on duty and currently in the building.

"You miss the Burg, don't you?" I asked, as we were exiting my Cayenne.

"No, just a few of the people who choose to still live in it. I'm pretty happy with my boyfriend and the life I get to live with him, I really don't have the time or the need to defend us to the other three-quarters of the Burg's population. As long as I can still see and say 'Hi' to Mary Lou and Eddie, and tease Carl, I'm good."

Eddie _is _working today, and Stephanie was still talking to him after I handed over our skip, obtained her capture receipt, and quickly got back to her. Apparently I joined her without a moment to spare. I slid my arms around her waist as she immediately turned into me and smiled, but I purposely chose to stand behind her just to block the rays of animosity from infecting her that are currently being aimed our way.

My Babe, being aware of her surroundings, tensed in my arms and then glanced _around _my arm to locate the source of whatever change in me she detected. _Morelli_. He's standing in the doorway of an office at the end of the hall, glaring disapprovingly at me ... and at Steph and I collectively for being the power couple we instantly became.

Eddie had a different reaction and loudly groaned. "Guess it was too much to ask for him to just stay outta sight until after the two of you leave."

"His sole purpose in life appears to be to annoy me until the end of mine," Steph said back.

"I'll have another word with him, in case my warning decides to sink in this time," Eddie told us. "Have you heard that he's been seeing someone who works over at Italian Peoples?"

Now I tensed, but I had no reason to. Steph is clearly thrilled to hear that particular news ... nowhere near jealous that rumors have the Italian Idiot grooming a new victim.

"Oh, thank God!" Was her initial response. "Maybe now I can stop worrying that he'll pull over and then harass Ranger just because Joe knows I'm one-hundred-percent Batman's Babe. I feel bad for whoever she is, though. I hope she's got a therapist on speed dial. She's going to need one on call 24/7 to remind her that _his _reactions aren't _her _fault no matter how often he blames her for them."

"I can handle Morelli, Babe. You don't need to keep worrying about him or what he delusionally believes he can do to me under the Chief's nose or behind the department's back. I have my own share of allies within these walls."

She hugged me harder and kept up her hold as she spoke. "As you've warned me regarding your feelings for me, I'm _always _going to worry about you and who chooses to target you. But I'm actually more concerned about what _I'll _do if Morelli bothers you. I'm not exactly the most reasonable person when it comes to protecting the people I love, and I love you more than anybody."

"She ain't kidding," Eddie said to me. "Steph put her own cousin in the hot seat for an entire hour after she heard that I was planning to propose to Shirley."

"You should've taken my immediate action as the red flag it was ... and then run as far and fast as you could away from Shirley. Now you're cemented in a marriage to her with an entire pack of hellions to try to control."

"So that would be a 'No' on babysitting for us next weekend?" Eddie teased.

"That's a _NO _with a capital 'N' and capital 'O'. Come on, Ranger. Let's go before Eddie tries to blackmail me into a job I'd choose to skin my entire body with a potato peeler over accepting."

Gazarra laughed. "I have plenty of ammunition ..."

"Yeah," she quickly interrupted, "and so does Ranger. Except _his _will put you in the morgue, not just in kid-hell, so keep that in mind. I am _not_ babysitting any decade soon, but I still love you despite your decision to procreate. And tell Shirley I said 'Hi'."

"Will do," Eddie said to our backs, since I'd already turned us towards the front entrance.

I couldn't help but notice, mainly because her left arm is curled around me with her hand on my ribcage, that her middle finger went up in Morelli's direction. Not only isn't Steph bothered that he's involved with someone else, she's perfectly happy to tell him to 'Fuck off' on top of it. That amused-annoyance completely ended while we were waiting near the restaurant's take-out counter for her meatball sub to be prepared. I can read her mind, and I know she wished she would've ordered _two_ subs now.

"_Hey! _Eyes off him, Jersey Shore-Whore," Steph ordered the woman standing at the bar facing us. "His girlfriend is the jealous kind. She's even been accused multiple times of being crazy."

The blonde sized-up my Babe. "You her?"

"You bet your liposuctioned ass I am. And for your information and safety, I'll add that I'm currently carrying. You keep eyeballing _my _guy, and they'll soon be filled with the business ends of everything I have on me. Tuck your eyes and your fake boobs back in. Trust me, he _IS NOT _interested."

Not wanting to be the target of Stephanie's anger, I hid my grin when the blonde did exactly what Steph told her to. Her face turned away from us, she abandoned her almost-full drink, and walked away while zipping her jacket up clear to her chin.

"My hero," I teased, willing to risk a glare now.

Which I did receive, along with a double hands-on-hips stance. But I love her too much to be scared.

"No, not _your hero_. Your _girlfriend _aka the love of your freakin' life. Turns out I'm just as protective and reactive as you are. Who knew?"

"I did," I said, reaching out to pull her still-angry body tight to me. "So … you all but celebrate Morelli dating, yet you threaten to shoot a complete stranger for just looking at me?"

"Yep. And I'd do both again. I know it's not your fault that you look like _that_, so it's my duty to stand between you and the skanks of the world. I am a little crazy when it comes to you. It won't be pretty if someone infringes on what's all mine."

"That sounds familiar."

"Probably because you've said things along those lines to me many times."

"I have, haven't I?"

"Yeah," she answered.

"You'd better prepare yourself then, because I will continue to. You are mine in every way. And you are correct."

She's slow in smiling, but I can tell a grin is lurking just below the surface. "_About ...?_"

"I'm not even remotely interested in anything anyone else has." I paused to lower my head until my lips could brush hers as I continued speaking. "But I'm finding myself even more _interested _in you, now that I've just been reminded of how _passionate _a woman you are."

"I'm taking those words as a promise, that when we get home ... we'll be spending the rest of the day thoroughly exploring our _mutual interests_."


End file.
